VIDEO: Shakespeare First Folio discovered on Scottish island

Karen Keith

The discovery of a rare Shakespeare First Folio at Mount Stuart on the Scottish isle of Bute has thrown both the island, and the archive in which the book was found, into the global spotlight - and we’ve been finding out more about how it came about.

The ‘First Folio’, the name commonly given to the collection of 36 of William Shakespeare’s plays, was printed in 1623 - and only 234 copies from the print run of around 750 are known to survive, making it one of the most valuable printed books in the world.

Head of Collections at Mount Stuart, Alice Martin.

We spoke to Alice Martin, head of collections with the Mount Stuart Trust, about how the discovery was made, what it might mean for Mount Stuart - one of the most stunning stately homes in Britain - and for Bute as a whole, and about the plans being put in place for the viewing public to make the most of the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare’s plays.

Click on the video above for our interview with Alice.

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